Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce Review

Sneaky hot. Or maybe not so sneaky. Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce announces right on the label that it’s a salsa habanero, and extra-hot habanero chilies are no spicy slouches. But calling out a big-heat chili on a label (as we know) doesn’t always translate to bigger spiciness in reality. Here, though, you get some real kick. So, does Mexico Lindo match that heat with big flavor? And how usable is this Mexican hot sauce? Let’s dig into those questions and more.

Flavor

Let’s start with what’s in the bottle. The ingredients are: habanero peppers, water, iodized salt, spices, acetic acid, citric acid, sodium metabisulfate (as antioxidant), xanthan gum, sodium benzoate as preservative, FD&C yellow No. 6 (and contains sulfites.)

Boy, there are a lot of big words towards the end; a lot more than many other hot sauces. They mainly equate to thickeners and preserving agents (to extend shelf life), plus coloring (I guess to jazz up the orangish-yellow of the hot sauce to make it pop more?)

But it’s what’s up front that’s, of course, of interest. Not every hot sauce ingredients list starts off with a chili pepper, but we have that here with Mexico Lindo Hot Sauce. Habaneros take the pole position, so there’s no doubt that heat will be a big player in the overall flavor.

On first taste, you get that heat (more on that below) along with a mix of smoky, sweet flavor (from the habaneros) and a saltiness. The habanero flavor really takes center stage here, so it’s a nice showcase for the pepper’s natural fruity flavor. The saltiness doesn’t overtake the flavor — it acts as a nice foil to the sweetness, enhancing it even more.

There’s a very light tang underneath it all, from the acetic and citric acids. It’s not a full-on vinegar-like experience; it’s much more subtle.

Overall, the flavor is very good, but it does taste a little one-note towards the end. Granted, it’s a flavorful note. It just feels like it could use a little more depth with the generic “spices” listed (outside of the overall spiciness, which does linger.)

The sodium sits at 90 mg per teaspoon (4% of your daily allowance), so it’s not low-sodium, but it’s certainly not the worst out there either. Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce does come in a dasher bottle, so you won’t be over-pouring. Plus, the heat is potent enough that you’re likely going to take it easier in the serving size you use.

Heat Balance

Fresh habanero peppers range from 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville heat units. And red habaneros (used here) can often get even hotter (up to 450,000 SHU.) These are potent, extra-hot chili peppers, for sure. But just because a hot sauce lists habaneros on a label, doesn’t mean it walks the talk in terms of heat.

The great news with Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce is it delivers plenty of spiciness. They state it’s 80,200 Scoville heat units, and that seems about right. This is an upper-medium/lower extra-hot sauce for sure, and well worth the habanero being positioned on the label.

The heat quickly hits the back of your throat, and it lingers. For me, it was a good 15 minutes. If you’re not ready, it’s a surprising level of spiciness upfront. But once you get used to it (and if you’re a heat-seeker), it’s a level of spiciness that you’ll love.

Granted, the back-end of the flavor of Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce becomes heat-heavy. From a balance perspective, know that going in. You’ll feel this spiciness. It’s quite a lot like eating a fresh habanero. You’ll get the sweet, fruitiness up-top, and it tapers off to allow the bold spiciness to take center stage.

Usability

Like most Mexican hot sauces, Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce is very usable with Mexican and Tex-Mex foods. It’s great with tacos, burritos, and the like. Don’t overlook it, either, for breakfast eggs or fried foods like fried chicken or french fries.

Because of its medium thickness, Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce also adds a nice texture to the plate. It stays where you put it. And the dasher spout allows a ton of control for overall placement of the sauce.

Collectibility

It’s not hard to find Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce, but it’s also not a hot sauce you’ll see on every store shelf. The label is good-looking, but practical — showing those habaneros front and center, so you know what you’re getting.

So, is it collectible? It’s simplicity actually catches the eye more than you’d expect. It feels practical, but just the right type of practical. You do feel like this is a hot sauce that’s going to lean into the pepper’s natural flavors. No tricks, no crazy-hot pepper extracts — just natural habanero flavor. And here the sauce totally delivers.

The Score

Mexico Lindo Red Habanero Hot Sauce places the natural flavor and heat of habanero chilies front and center. It’s sweet, smoky, and plenty spicy for a sauce that features the habanero so prevelantly. The heat does tend to take over, but overall this is a solid Mexican hot sauce.